Folks Of Interest Farthest you drove for a maybe

Damn, Bones, I was in Ft. Gibson last week looking for stuff. My wife found a Mexican restaurant in Muskogee and all was right with the world. Next time I'm through there I'll buy the beer.

That was 265 miles one way if that counts.

 

500 miles one way, 1000 round trip, pulling a trailer to buy a car. I initially passed but the seller asked me to renegotiate. We struck a deal and I pulled it home.

 

Bones..

If those headers were in like '64 or so cop cars I tripped into a pile of them in the weeds between a bunch of scrapped police cars..I think one bit me! This was about 1968..

 

600 miles round trip to Bakersfield. Answered the CL add at 3p on Sunday afternoon and was on the road with my wife at 4:30. Got home at 2:30a monday morning and made it to work.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Will do an almost 600 mile round trip to a "maybe" purchase on some parts...if the price is right,if the parts are workable...sent a guy an offer to buy a Chevy truck if the deal is made,I will pull a trailer and add 100 miles to the trip on the weekend.

 

About 180 miles to get a /Ford 9 inch and axes and suspect center section for 55./00 The housing will probably be the one that gets narrowed for my 48.
Wife and I did make a weekend out of it and the rear end was only one part of it.
Years ago when I lived in Texas I rode out to some farm about 40 miles west of Waco to look at a "restored" 57 Chevy. Car had fresh paint on it including paint over the mud on the rear fenders that the rear tires had thrown on it when they spun getting the car in the shed that it was painted in. It was a no sale even though I had cash in my pocket.
Just thinking, today when I hauled the 31 Vic 160 miles to a gent who said "I want it, and offered to pay me for hauling it". Got paid, they like it, great day.

 

Trust your gut. Generally speaking, trying to deal with these simpletons that can't or won't answer a few simple, concise, questions usually ends up in a shitshow.

 

In this day and age have them take some photos. I won't bother unless they send me some picts...

 

recently did an 8 hour round trip to buy a carb I've been looking for. Found it on Marketplace, contacted seller and made the deal. Guy was real stand up, kept his word. There are good people everywhere.

BigMike

 

Hey, was her name Gail?

 

no, Elsa. edit: Ilsa

 

Made a deal to buy a '57 Thunderbird located in Washington DC. I live about 100 miles east of Dallas, Texas.
This was prior to the internet, answered a for sale ad in a magazine. Asked for and received pictures by mail.
Prepared a list of 50 items to ask on the phone, and was satisfied with the answers. Made the deal and sent a
deposit check for $ 1500.00. At the time of the deal, I couldn't go get the car for about a week. After some
soul searching, something told me to go now. My son in-law and I got plane tickets for a round trip from Dallas
to Washington DC. The return trip was on a three day delay. We bought these tickets because they were
cheaper than one-way. We planned to drive the car back to Texas. Our suitcases had spare parts and tools.
A cab ride from the DC airport to the address dropped us off a block away from the correct address.
The T-Bird was parked in front of the apartment building, and from a block away, I could tell the car was a
piece of junk. The man and women waiting with the car probably were in their late 80's. Turns out they were
helping their son sell the car, never saw him. They even had made sandwiches for our trip home. After a little
animated conversation, the old couple went back in a foyer of the apartment building. The conversation was
animated enough to make them not unlock the door so we could call a cab. This was before cell phones were
everyday items. A long walk with heavy suitcases and finding a phone in this neighborhood that was not torn
off the wall was difficult. Finally back at the airport, with a three day wait for the return trip as per our tickets.
My son in-law said let me see what I can do. He studied the ticket agents for about 20 minutes and then went up
to talk with one of them. He had his back to me and periodically the lady agent would lean out and look at me.
Her supervisor came over and both studied me. My son in-law came back and said a flight to Dallas leaves in 45 minutes and we are on it. I asked what did you tell them? His reply was, you don't want to know. And to this day,
I don't know what he told the ticket agents.
Icing on the cake, I was able to cancel the deposit check.
The retelling of this story countless times is my happy memory of this trip.
Ernie

 

+
Flew with my missus 500 miles to buy a Landcruiser to a regional airport and phoned the guy "too busy to collect you" he says so I had to hire a private car to go to his house £60! gets to a massive house with electric gates and eventually he lets us in to see the car -all decent(just barely) so after a short test drive confirming its "okay" we are allowed into his house ( We both took our shoes off showing respect for his religion )-counting the cash out he says "thats not the price-I want £100 more" -I thought my missus was going to explode!!! I gave him the £100 as I knew it was £60 to go back to the airport -after all the paperwork was signed I said to him "honour is not a given ,it is earned-may Allah look down on you as a dog".We drove home then three days later I got a mate to list it as SOLD on his website £10,000 more than I paid him and set him the link....I am sure he still hates me

 

Drove 3 1/2 hours to Hometown, West Virginia to see a 57 Chevy Handyman wagon. Worst POS I've ever seen and not even close to the sellers description. He said it had new paint but didn't tell me the new paint was over rust and dents. No paint is better then bad paint.
After this I told myself if I can't see something locally or at a car show that I'm attending, I don't need it.

 

Once a upon a time before Al Gore invented the internet. I drove over 18 hours to purchase supposedly "RUST FREE" parts. Well they were rust free just had 18 pounds of bondo packed in them! So empty trailer and all I drove 18 hours back home. The seller did ask me to make an offer he really wanted to sell the parts! I told him I wouldn't want to pay the extra fuel it would cost to get that junk back home on the trailer! That was a weekend I'll never get back! Joe

 

This thread started with a "furthest you drove for a maybe"
Well I just came back from a mini adventure.
After telling myself I wouldn't buy anymore trucks or vans no matter how good of a deal it was,I found myself looking at CL Monday night.
Saw a 54 Chevy truck for real cheap.
I clicked the add and the 2 pictures showed a very straight and rust free 3800..
Same fenders as a 3100,rust free door,cab,fenders,nice grille,bumper,bumper guard 8 lug short wheel base.
Seller states that if you don't think the truck is worth the money he's asking don't bother calling, fair enough.
I save the phone number and it says "ok to text"
I send a text stating that I'm interested and would be there Friday with a trailer unless he got a faster,cash in hand buyer.

He tells me Friday is good but bumper guard is gone.
Bummer,,I told him that was mostly what I was after and the truck would be an added bonus.
Does it have a seat?
Nope.
I say "ok I'll be there still".
He sends more detailed pics and the truck looks really really straight.
New pictures reveal a missing driver door,
Is there a door somewhere?
"Nope"
Dam,good thing I have 4 extra.
Ok,no problem.

Friday rolls in,I get off work,take a shower,eat,pick up the trailer and drive 70 miles to pick up this straight truck.

It was really straight with some big dents that arent hard to massage out,no rust minor dent in grille,and front fender...nothing major.

I tell the guy I like it,pay him and he proceeds to help me load it with this forklift,good thing cuz u didn't bring a come along,etc...
I start securing the load and he tells me to tie the axle to the spring cuz someone removed the Ubolts..
Ok no biggie.
We say our good byes,the guys were nice we chatted for a minute.
I headed 30 miles back to a coworkers place,he had offer me a Cummins engine out of a generator so I went to look at it.. we chatted and I started heading to the yard where I have my stash of cars.
110 miles away! It was 8:00 pm by now..dark in a two lane road in the mountains in the middle of death valley, nothing happened during the drive,I made it to the yard around 10:30 pm.

I have to leave early to California to look at a bed and some fenders so I had to unload the 3800 and have my truck ready for the morning..
What a Major PITA unloading was!!
In the middle of the desert with only a headlight for my forehead.
Do you know what happens in the middle of the desert,at 11 PM at night when u have a really bright, LED light stuck to your forehead?
All the fucking bugs and night crawlers,flying shitting stinging mofos kamikaze their little annoying asses directly to your eyeballs,ears or mouth.
There I was fighting a 3 ton metal demon with 2 rear flat tires, a loose axle THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE FRIGGING 2 PIECE DRIVESHAFT!!
IT was hell!!
Slap a bug out of your face,1/4 turn on the wheels,the pumking shoots upwards binding the driveshaft under the cab etc...one of the most frustrating-tear jerking-cussword inventing shit jobs I had to endure...
I had to hook a chain to the back of the school bus,come along beging the frame,lift with a high clearance manual jack, reposition, repeat...
I was finally able to drag the POS on the dirt and off the trailer,,sweating,tired of being up since 3:30 am,sick of driving etc...
I still had to unhook the trailer and unload the bed...
Will I do it again??
Maybe,
What u got for cheap?

 

Forgot the pics

 

I been calling this guy I found on Marketplace,he had a bunch of f1 parts for sale..
I was interested in a 48f1 bed with fenders. Fenders looked rough with a couple of big dents and rust on the bottom where they usually rust.
I contact the guy,he tells me it's his dad's stash and to call him directly.
I called the guy around 7 times but he never picked up,his voicemail was full of course.

He called me back and I told him I was interested in the bed.
He says he might have it up in the hill,maybe, come down and see it and make an offer..300 miles.
So I went on the 4th of July,when I bout the 331,I made a loop driving to Nuevo from Indio CA,I called the guy,his cell and home,his son, nobody answer, so I started heading home,I got a call from the son that his father was in a parade.I apologized for bugging them and took off,I had to be in Vegas around 4 to sell some g10 doors.
The guy called me but I was driving and somehow couldn't answer in time.

I left it like that for a couple of weeks then I called him,I said I Wana come look at the bed next Saturday,sure,I'll be there on Saturday all day,call me on Friday to get an address.
Friday rolles in,I had to pick up that 3800 I was in such a rush that I forgot to call the guy,It was midnight when I dropped the 3800 off the trailer,I went to bed after a shower,I woke up at 5am and started driving to Nuevo CA with only a phone number and debit card.

Called the guy 30 before getting there,no answer...called him 7-8 times on his cell,home phone, contacted his son etc...
I was 300 miles away from home unable to withdraw cash from the barely opened stores...I had my girl wire me some money,I called one more time,the daughter answered and she said she let dad know I called.

Minutes later the dad calls me back,I beg for an address,he says he'll be there in one hour so I headed his way and waited..
We found the bed,it was a little rough,I made an offer,he took it,we loaded it in the back of my pick up with 2 4x4 across it and headed home..
Second time I got lucky by showing up to a town with no address and only a couple of phone numbers as contacts.

 

Another one.
I got home last night around 11 PM from a 1200 mile round trip to Albuquerque NM.
I had to pick up my new to me COE hood.
More than a month ago,I met a guy on Facebook looking for some miliary wheels,he is in Texas.

I contacted him,I told him I had 1 set of four and 2 pairs of two different ones,2 beign some hard to find combat 2 piece wheels.
I told him that I needed a hood brought my way to Vegas and if he ever came this way,we could do a little trade if he brought it to me.

We started to communicate and he said he would come in 2 weekends,he had family in Vegas and he wanted to take the family on a trip to it.
That was a bit faster than I expected.
He picked up the hood from a brother in Texas,he kept it for a week and we communicated all week making plans to meet here in Vegas.
He texted me a day before leaving Texas and says no go,the whole base had to be quarantined because Texas got hit hard with the Virus,not to worry my hood was safe in the house,,we would make plans for later.

We kept in touch and one day he says can we meet half way in Albuquerque?
I had to agree since I didn't know how long I could stand my hood in a strangers house.
We set a date for Yesterday around noon in New Mexico,so I started driving around midnight on Friday.
I stopped in AZ to drop a Grille a guy had to have,met him at 6am on my way,chatted for a bit then took off..
I met the Texas guy around noon and we had plans to have lunch together, the whole state is shut down when it comes to dine in so we just parted ways.
It's been an interesting 2 last months

 

Drove 1300 miles from FL to IN one way to buy a hood.
Then drove back to FL.

 

That hood is worth the trip.

 

For a part? Eh. Fora whole vehicle? Yeah, done that. More boats than cars though. Drove to W Virginia for a rare boat once. Bought it sight unseen and figured I'd repair as needed at home since it had been stored for a decade. Worked out good but I got towed in like 7 times the first summer, lol. Fix one small thing, another would fail. Got her right by end of summer.

 

Drove 4 hours one way last week to LOOK at a '51 Ford F1 that I ended up making a deal on. Need to drive back with my truck and trailer to pick it up. Pictures looked good and the buyer sounded intelligent and gave honest answers to all my questions. She even sent many extra pics and a video so I felt the trip would be worthwhile.
On the other hand if the seller is hard to reach, won't take extra pictures or answer all questions I ask I won't bother.

I answered an ad a few years ago in a local paper for a "1948 Ford F1 in good condition -$500". Called the seller and he described the truck as rust free, only surface rust. The body would only need to be sanded in order to be ready for paint he said. He went on to say that the paint in the door jambs and under the hood looked like new. It had the original flathead V8 in it but had been parked and not run in a while. I left work early, picked up a buddy and went to buy this truck. When we got to the old, run down house, an older gentleman came out and took us around back to see the truck. The first thing I noticed was the totally rotted out fenders, cab corners and lower doors. The glass was all milky or cracked and there wasn't even a bed! The frame had been cut and extended a couple of feet to add a flatbed that was also now missing. I politely told the man it wasn't what I was expecting. He responded angrily "what did you expect, a cream puff?". I said "yes, that is what you described on the phone!". Thankfully it was only a 1 hour drive!

Some people's idea of condition and reality are two TOTALLY different things!

 

It was over 500 miles one way back when things were more simple and folks were trusty. Found an ad in the Western Producer - a farm newspaper for a 1940 Ford Tudor for $600. Phoned the guy early in the morning. How was I supposed to know that Saskatchewan wasn't on Daylight Savings time? Oops! Anyhow, I promised to buy it. Luckily for me, my pal Bill who is a pastor had a youth meeting going on for a Full Gospel Business Men's convention in Saskatoon which is most of the way to my car so we head off with a trailer in tow. Left Bill in Saskatoon and kept on going. When I finally get to my location, there is no one home but there is a note on the door that tells me the owner forgot about a previous engagement that day but to go ahead and help myself to the car. The workshop was unlocked in case I needed any tools and just send him the money in the mail. To get it onto the trailer, I phoned a tow truck company and managed to get the car loaded. Worked out great. Sent him the money when I got home. This was about 40 years ago and at that time, you could buy just about every thing you could ever need for a '40 Ford. Went into sticker shock and traded it off for a '49 Monarch. Still regret it.

 

Drove 5 1/2 hours one way years ago for a BUNCH of 41 ford tudor parts for a great price. Rented a trailer in that town from u haul to bring it all home. Best part was return trip took more like 8 hours because it was in February in Ohio and Indiana and we got caught in a blizzard and ice storm. We made it back safe and sound, still was a great score. Basically a complete car minus frame and drive train. The guy had cut it into a roof, both 1/4s seperate doghouse/cowl and rear fenders and doors. I was able to use a lot of it.

 

Drove from L.A. to that dry lake in central California to get a 1941 Graham Hollywood, long haul but got a good car, 500Mi. round trip.

 

Drove 560 miles round trip to buy an OT 5 speeds that was new, it had been inside a train that crashed.
Cheap and it did work. He had only one pic on craigs.

 

Drove from swampeast Missouri to Fort Wayne, IN to buy a really rare OT roadster. Car was as advertised, including the destroyed front fender and the bent frame. Don't know distance, probably 500 miles each way.

Bought the car, put it on the trailer, and headed home.

For all you "I won't buy it without pictures" folks, there is another side to this coin. Years ago, I used to send free pictures. I have some exceptionally rare carburetors for sale. Three consecutive "serious buyers" did not have the courtesy to call back, even to thank me for the pictures. Within a couple of weeks, all three sets showed up on parts wanted ads on various forums "I want to buy this carburetor". That was enough. I will provide pictures for a price. The price is refundable IF the "serious buyer" buys the carburetor.

Jon.

 

675 miles one-way for some questionable fenders and possible other sheet metal for my '35 Ford Pickup. Sometimes a guy is holding a stash of parts and you can only check them out in person to see if they'll work for you. Mostly a bust, but I still got 2 workable fenders and some other pieces.

Personally, I like to drive. Drove to NJ one time from Detroit for a Lincoln V12 - 9 hours each way but it got my mind off some shit at the time. A long drive to check out some parts almost always clears my head.

 

I guess I have been lucky . 1/2 mile for my 1927 Ford Model T Tudor and 11 miles for my 1948 Ford F1 .